New to Shotguns. Wondering if the NEF pardner protector 12ga 18.5" would be any good for hunting. Did a search and found people liked for HD, but no mention of hunting - mainly small game and birds. Thanks in advance.

Well considering it is another chinese clone (may be euro but I think it is chinese) and costs as much or more than a Mossberg I would pass. But a Maverick 88 is well under 200 bucks and is american made. All barrels and accessories for the 500 mossberg fit it.
Brent

If its a chinese copy id have to pass.....Wallyworld here had Mavericks for $147 about a month ago, and used Mossbergs 500's can be picked up for under $125. Ive got a 30+ yr old mossberg that was my dads and its had no problems.

In general, the minimum length barrel you want to consider for hunting birds whether its quail, grouse, pheasant, ducks etc is probably 28". If you go much shorter than that - the sight plane is reduced substantially - and lengthening the sight plane on hunting or target shotguns is generally preferred ( longer sight planes help on your follow thru especially - because pulling the trigger is the start of the shot, the follow thru is the end of the shot.). Short barrels are really for fighting shotguns vs sporting shotguns.

Buying a gun without the option of screw in chokes makes little or no sense these days, if you intend to use it for more than one thing. Changing a gun from Cyclinder, Improved Cyclinder, Modified, Improved Mod or Full has its advantages as the kill range for your targt changes - because the idea with a shotgun is you want to put a 30" effective pattern on the target or bird at the expected kill range. Quail are usually short range birds - so I use an Improved Cyclinder or Cyclinder choke usually / Pheasants are more like a 35 - 45 yard kill range so I go with a Modified choke usually unless I'm hunting over very well trained pointers that hold the birds closer ... etc.

Buying a gun that fits you is the most important thing - but there are a lot of inexpensive options out there especially in pump guns - Rem 870's, Mossberg pumps, Browning BPS pumps, etc - but fit means getting the gun to hit where you look / not all guns are meant to fit everyone. In all probablility / you can put a comb pad on it or something to adjust it for fit.

Since you're admittedly new to shotguns, in basic terms, what folks are saying is: Shotguns are typically pointed or aimed. Short barrels are generally pointed in fighting situations. And, long barrels are aimed for hunting and target shooting. BigJimP described the importance of longer barrels to the aiming process. There's some crossover with aiming opportunities in some tactical situations and hunting quick targets that don't allow enough time for a well aimed shot.

As you gain experience as a shot-gunner, you'll be able to select the barrel and choke combination that's best suited for your anticipated target environment. Because of the multitude of shotgun barrels and chokes available, comparing rifles to shotguns is like comparing baseball to golf. A rifle is like a baseball bat, you've got a limited selection of sizes and weights; but, a shotgun is akin to full set of golf clubs that's ready for any shot.

I have hunted with an 18.5 barrel plenty but if I were after flying/running game in open country I would prefer my 28 inch with a tighter choke. Most all 18 inch barrels are cylindrical choke which means NO choke... straight tube.
The wal-mart Maverick 88 I own is a 12 gauge (they will get you a 20 if you wish) 28 inch barrel with the accu-choke threads. VERY AFFORDABLE for an american made pump gun.
Brent

18" barrels don't "swing" well on moving targets as the sight radius is shorter.
They are handy for short range protection as the can be pointed fast.
Also the open cylinder does not provide the optimum pattern.
Yes you can hunt with it.
However longer barrel and any choke will be better.
The screw-in choke will vastly improve your shooting.
Find one of those combo pumps with two barrels.
Hunt with the long one. Come home. Unload. Swap barrels and clean gun.
Load for home protection.

Some will give advice on these shotguns even though they know very little about them. I have some time behind these shotguns and know them pretty well.

They are well made and built like a tank: Machined extractor and ejector, metal trigger guard, thick high carbon steel receiver.

If you are planning on making a purchase, buy with confidence. They are little heavy because of the thick steel receiver. The Pardner Pump shotguns comes in different barrel lengths and finishes. H&R even has a combo model. All of them come with choke tubes except the HD Protector model. They use the Mossberg Accu-Choke system. H&R sales extra barrels for around $70. The only downside you have to send in the shotgun for the barrel to be fitted. That makes no sense because they are a drop in fit.

Someone has a 28" Pardner Pump barrel for sale on Shotgun World forums in the NEF/H&R section.

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